Team UK

The UK’s national quidditch team, Team UK, consists of the best players in the United Kingdom. Most recently captained by Seb Waters at the Quidditch World Cup 2018, these players represent UK quidditch at international tournaments twice a year, competing in the European Games and the Quidditch World Cup.

Players are dedicated athletes and activists to the sport, donning the Team UK kits with pride as they show both the elite level of play the UK can offer and the sports values we honour. Many players are activists in the quidditch community, setting up or helping run both university and community teams.

Team UK’s most recent tournament was the IQA Quidditch World Cup this summer in Florence, Italy, where they finished in fourth place out of 29 teams from five continents. They lost to the USA in their semi-final game, and lost a very close bronze medal match to Turkey.

2017 marked a record breaking victory for Team UK, where the team won the European Games after beating France to take the gold.

Team UK at World Cup 2018 – Photo Howard Orridge

In 2016, Team UK competed at the Quidditch World Cup in Frankfurt, coming third after beating Team Canada, missing out on silver and gold to USA and Australia.

Team UK have a history of being leaders in the global sport, hosting the first ever international tournament, the Summer Games, in Oxford, UK. The first time international teams had formally competed against each other in a structured tournament, the event kickstarted quidditch in the UK, resulting in an explosion of growth and development of the sport and leading the UK to where it is today in terms of quidditch development and teams.

Team UK’s Legacy:

Tournament

Location

Team UK’s Result

2018 Quidditch World Cup

Florence, Italy

4th

2017 European Games

Oslo, Norway

1st

2016 Quidditch World Cup

Frankfurt, Germany

3rd

2015 European Games

Sarteano, Italy

2nd

2014 Global Games

Burnaby, Canada

4th

2012 Summer Games

Oxford, UK

5th

In 2015 QuidditchUK launched the Team UK Training Squad. The Team UK Training Squad is the standing squad of Team UK and is reselected by the the Team UK coaches every few months to ensure the best players in the country are included. 2016 saw the launch of the Team UK Expansion Squad. The Expansion Squad aims to give players not yet good enough for the Team UK Training Squad a pathway to the squad and to elevate the level of quidditch in the UK. Both the Team UK Training Squad and Team UK Expansion Squad were the first of their kind worldwide.

As of November 13th 2018 the Team UK Training Squad is as follows:

Team UK Training Squad:

Coaches

Keepers

Chasers

Beaters

Seekers

James Thanangadan, Head Coach

Andrew Hull

Tom Stevens

Bill Orridge

Callum Lake

Jay Holmes, Assistant Coach

Seb Waters

Ben Malpass

Jacopo Sartori

Jonathan Purvis

Seb Waters, Chaser Coach

Alex Greenhalgh

James Thanangadan

Jan Mikolajczak

Bill Orridge, Beater Coach

Alex Macartney

Luke Trevett

Anjit Aulakh

Ben Morton, Seeker Coach

Ed Brett

Dan Trick

Reuben Thompson

Carina Werner

Tommy Ruler

Lucy Q

Tom Norton

Kerry Aziz

Aaron Veale

Jess O’Neill

Franky Kempster

Alex Carpenter

Natasha Ferenczy

Alice Walker

Asia Piatek

Sarah Ridley

Bex Lowe

Lauren Sterry

Abbi Harris

As of November 13th 2018 the Team UK Expansion Squad is as follows:

Team UK Expansion Squad:

Coaches

Keepers

Chasers

Beaters

Seekers

Gio Forino, Head Coach

Christopher Lawrence

Ben Honey

Ben Guthrie

Dave Goddin, Assistant Head Coach

Elliot Fisher

Caleb Pakeman

Chris Thomas

Dan Trick, Beater Coach

Mat Croft

Jack Kohli

Christo Cole

Alice Walker, Beater Coach

Joe Kernaghan

Gabri Hall Rapa

Judith Ballinger, Administrator

Lewis Dixon

Iain
Keenan

Mike Lewis

Mikey Orridge

Olly Barker

Nat Welham

Rudi Obasi-Adams

Tayyeb Ali

Steve Withers

Lewis Boast

Tua Karling

Emily Hymers

Anna Rowe

Franky Kempster

Chloé Hemingway

Anna O’Gara

Chloe Smith

El Zukowicz

Ellinor Alseth Opsal

Emily Arnold

Hannah Garland

Hannah Ridley

Katie Dickens

Lydia Calder

Rosie Inman

Samantha Frohlich

In another quidditch worldwide first, in 2017 QuidditchUK launched the Team UK Research and Analysis department, tasked with implementing a comprehensive system of data-orientated support for the Team UK coaches and players. The Research and Analysis team, headed by Jay Holmes, will included Data Analysts and the Team UK scouts who will both contribute to the Team UK Selection Process.

To support both squads and the research and analysis department, the Team UK administration team comprises three volunteer administrators who each take responsibility for one of: organising all logistical elements of tournament attendance; organising Team UK training weekends; and organising Expansion Squad training weekends.